California / Asian replacing Latinos as the primary source of immigrants

The face of new Californians – once predominantly Latino – is increasingly Asian American, census data show.

A seismic shift in immigration has occurred in California over the last decade, with Asia replacing Latin America as the primary source of the state’s immigrants.

“This is a pretty astounding change over a short period of time,” said Hans Johnson, co-director of the Public Policy Institute of California, citing census data.

“For the first time in decades, the number of Asians coming to California exceeded the flow from Latin America, and it exceeds that flow by a lot – 2 1/2 times greater.”

To have Latino immigrants eclipsed by those from Asia over the past five to 10 years “could represent the end of an era,” Johnson said.

In 2001, 42 percent of immigrants coming to California were from Latin America, primarily Mexico, while 37 percent were from Asia. In 2011, 57 percent of new immigrants were from Asia, and just 22 percent were from Latin America, census data show.

Choosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor from

via Asian immigrants to California eclipse Latinos in past decade – Our Region – The Sacramento Bee.